Poisonous by Design
by Amiyuu
Summary: Saved by a mystery who disappears as suddenly as he had appeared, Akashi will not rest until he finds the man and claims him as another prized possession. Romance is hard enough on its own, but when one sits precariously on the throne of Japan's underground and the other is shrouded in shadows and secrets that could quite literally kill, things are bound to get more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**Yeah, so, I know I shouldn't be starting a new project right now, but my muse has been going berserk with the ideas for this story so in order to shut it up and make it concentrate on the other stories I have going on, I need to get this out of my system.**

**Prepare yourself for lousy word vomit that I conjure up at 4am on a Monday night.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters. Only the following story is my own.**

**Image Source: e94addict . tumblr post / 29266796502**

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Food poisoning, it was needless to say, was an extremely unpleasant experience. Even in his drugged state he had enough of his wits about him to be able to ponder over the suspicious circumstance he was caught in. The doctor's words had ringed true; he had been neglecting his body recently by consuming unspeakable amounts of instant ramen and ignoring his exercise regime. Work had been more taxing than usual on him, with a number of high profile mergers lined up and too many meetings in which he had had to entertain mindless chatter; he could hardly be blamed for how his usually strict diet and exercise schedules had been thrown out of balance. In spite of all that, it was still strange to him, the fact that he had gotten food poisoning so easily. Akashi was not a weak man by nature, and he made sure to keep it that way all the time, regardless of his eating habits.

Uncharacteristically lost in his thoughts, it took a while for the redhead to notice the soft knocking on the closed door to his hospital room. Darting his eyes away from the brightly lit fluorescent tube overhead, he blinked at the wooden structure, his normally sharp mind so addled with medication that it took him a while to process that it was well past visiting hours and that no one should be knocking on his door at such an ungodly hour. He also realized that if it was someone sent to kill him, it was highly doubtful that they would bother to knock.

"Come in," he called and paused to clear his throat. He wasn't sure which, but one of the multitudes of clear liquids that they had injected into his body earlier that night had left his throat feeling itchy and dry. The door creaked open slightly as whoever it was outside peeped in hesitantly before opening it fully. Akashi stared, eyes hooded, at the boy who let himself in. He was of average height, with skin so pale that it was almost translucent and eyes and hair a shade of blue that reminded him of the sky on a slightly overcast morning. Shutting the door behind himself, the boy shuffled forward slightly, awkwardly, and returned the look with an appraisal of his own.

"Can I help you?" The redhead finally broke the silence after several minutes.

"You are the patient who was diagnosed with food poisoning, aren't you?" the boy asked, his voice oddly flat. Akashi narrowed his eyes at him. Internally, he cursed the medication that was dulling his senses, but he knew that he had to at least seem alert.

"Why do you ask?" he returned, voice ringing sharply. "You are clearly not a member of the staff here."

"I apologize if I seem rather rude," the blue head bobbed as he bowed slightly. "But I saw them wheeling you in earlier this evening."

Akashi pursed his lips. Neither was answering the other's questions. He hadn't the slightest inkling of what the boy's intentions were. He was not stupid enough to believe that the petite body would not be a threat to him. There were many ways you could kill a sick man bound to a bed.

"You are avoiding my questions," he pointed out bluntly. At times like these it was best to just be frank. He didn't have the strength to play mind games.

"I apologize," the stranger bowed again. "Believe me when I say that I mean you no harm."

"It is a policy of mine to not trust a man who evades questions."

"A sound policy." The bluenette nodded agreeably. He took a single step closer and Akashi began to slide his hand off his lap towards the remote hung beside his bed with the button to call for the nurse.

"Well?"

"Your condition is rather surprising," he began. The redhead raised an eyebrow at the words but nodded for him to continue. "You seem like you keep yourself in shape, and yet you managed to get food poisoning."

"It happens to the best of us," Akashi dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I have been somewhat lax in upholding my regime lately."

"Nonetheless, you should not have been so weakened to the point where simple food would have such a profound effect on your body."

The bedded man shot the other a long, hard look. "How do you know what it was that gave me food poisoning?"

"I read it in your report," he replied with a casual shrug. "It also says that you have had trouble sleeping recently."

"It would do you good to know that things like that are private," Akashi said disapprovingly. There was something distinctively _off_ about the boy – no, his features were much more matured than he had originally thought. He would have to be a man closer to Akashi's age.

"Indeed it is, I am sorry for the intrusion, but your condition was troubling me."

"And why would you trouble yourself with a stranger?" Red and gold eyes watched the unmoving expression closely. He was booked into a private room in a wing of the hospital that had a high level of security meant to cater to those who didn't want to be known. The fact that there was someone who was able to not only slip past security but to gain access to his personal records meant that he was probably not as safe as he had assumed.

"I think you've been poisoned."

This time, the redhead raised both eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"You may not believe me, but I am quite familiar with poisons in my line of work. While your symptoms are synonymous with food poisoning, there are certain things that can only occur if you were slipped actual poison."

"Essentially you're saying that someone tried to kill me," he said blandly. The other man nodded slightly. "You do realize how serious allegations like that are?"

"I do," the expression remained the same, but there was a slight furrowing between the young man's brows. "I am convinced that it's poisoning. You were fed mushrooms, am I correct?"

"Yes," Akashi confirmed, feeling a headache coming on. He had been suspicious, but to have someone confirm his thoughts somehow irked him. He would have been happy pretending that it was only due to stale food and nothing else. There was enough on his plate as it was. Sighing, the red-haired man dropped his head back onto the pillow and retracted his hand from the emergency button.

"May I ask what it is the doctors have prescribed you?"

"Didn't you read it in my file?" the redhead asked sardonically. Silence greeted his words and he heaved another sigh. "I cannot tell you what they are, but I can tell you that they are working."

"It might seem like they are," he heard the muttered words closer than before. Turning his head, he watched the blue-eyed man freeze as he returned the probing gaze from the redhead with a questioning look. "I wish to look at the labels on your chart and check your temperature."

"I sincerely hope that you are not going to try to kill me, too," Akashi turned away and shut his heavy eyelids. "I have had enough excitement for the day."

"I will do my best not to bother you," the other man said quietly.

With his eyes shut Akashi had to rely on his hearing and the occasional brush of skin against his to determine where the bluenette was. His fingers were gentle as the pale-skinned man took his pulse. It was clear that he knew what he was doing. Yet, Akashi mused, he had not denied that he wasn't a part of the hospital staff. The fingers brushed against his forehead, pressure light as he checked for a fever. The hand was soft, comforting, and it made him feel unguarded enough to allow the sleep he had been fighting against to slip closer. He was exhausted. The man's comment that he had not been sleeping well was true. Nightmares plagued him every night, and it had escalated to such a state that anything more than two hours of sleep was considered miraculous. The many forms of medication that he had tested had also failed to show any results.

He would berate himself in the morning for letting his guard down so easily around a stranger, but for now he gave in to the craving of his body. He was unconscious before the hand left his forehead.

**xx**

"Good morning, sir," Akashi blinked sleepily at the unfamiliar voice that greeted him from the foot of his bed. He had been out like a light bulb the entire night. His sleep had been blissfully void of any dreaming. The voice was obviously female, nothing like that of the man the night before. Pulling himself into a sitting position, he smiled slightly at the nurse bearing a tray of food and his medicine.

"I hope you're feeling up for some food," she said cheerfully, arranging everything on the table before rolling it over. "It's only some soup and a bit of porridge so that your stomach won't get upset again."

"Thank you," he said. He did not feel up to eating, but he knew that if he didn't his recovery would take much longer. Picking up the spoon, he began to sip lightly on the soup as he looked through the tablets in a small plastic container next to his bowl. "By the way, what did the doctor give me for my insomnia last night?"

"You have insomnia?" The nurse asked in surprise. She removed the clipboard from the end of his bed and shuffled through the pages. "It doesn't say here that there was any medication prescribed for it."

The spoon stilled for an imperceptible moment before he continued eating as normal. His eyes, however, were downcast as he muttered vaguely, "Is that so?"

**xx**

It was around mid-morning when his first visitors burst through the doors. Akashi had been idly watching a mindless TV show, something he had not had the luxury of doing in a very long time. He could hear the ditzy blonde before he even reached the room.

"Akashicchi~!" the sing-song voice was accompanied by a bouncing body that should have been too large to look cute. It worked though, somehow. "Good morning~!"

"Ryouta," he greeted cordially enough. "Where are the others?"

"Ah – they were behind me earlier," the golden head whipped around to look down the hallway. "Maaaan, they walk really slow."

"What the hell were you doing, running off like that?" the gruff voice floated into the room as the man approached them. "You left us with all the bags, idiot."

"You guys didn't look like you needed help," Kise retorted, sounding slightly whiny. "Why do you need so much stuff anyway?"

"Dunno, ask the damn frog." Aomine grunted as he dropped three large bags unceremoniously in the middle of the hospital room. "Yo, boss. How you doin' today?"

"Daiki," Akashi replied amusedly. While they weren't exactly friends, and the dark-skinned man was a rather crude character, Akashi had a certain type of fondness for him. "I am doing quite well, thank you for asking. Where is Shintarou?"

"Would it have killed you to hold the elevator doors open for me?" the said man asked Aomine icily as he entered the room bearing two huge luggage bags.

Aomine shrugged carelessly. "It's your own fault for bringing so many things. Akashi doesn't even need this much crap!"

"That is not for you to decide," the green-haired man returned, nudging up his glasses. He turned to the bedded man with a slight bow. "Good morning, Akashi."

"Good morning, Shintarou."

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better than yesterday."

"That is good news," the bespectacled man said, the permanent look of mild irritation on his face a contrast to his words. "It seems that you will be able to return to work sooner than expected."

"So it would seem," Akashi agreed. Midorima was his right hand man and his secretary. The man was efficient, eerily so, and was extremely reliable. He had been with Akashi since the very beginning of the building of his empire and was now acting as president in his stead.

"I brought you your lucky item for the day," Midorima was saying as he rummaged around in one of the bags. "It seems that Sagittarius's luck today is rather good."

Akashi accepted the oddly shaped mug that was the same shade of blue as his mystery visitor last night. He noticed the dubious look that Aomine shot the object. The dark-haired man had always had trouble relating to the superstition that Midorima followed with unwavering faith. He was a man of action, emotion, and possibly on his best days, a little bit of thought.

"I presume that you are not all here just for a casual visit," Akashi mentioned. His words started a flurry of activity as Aomine checked up and down the hallway before shutting the door and standing guard over it as Kise grabbed a couple of the bags and tugged them up to Akashi's bedside and pulled out a stack of documents from another bag and arranged them on the table in front of the redhead.

"The mergers have been progressing smoothly on the most part, however we're having some trouble with the group that controls a significant part of north Tokyo." Midorima said.

"Which group is it?" Akashi opened the folder that was proffered. "Kaijou?"

"Yes. It is the group that Kise infiltrated two months ago. It seems that after he left, some of them convinced the leader that the merger was a bad idea."

"And I did such a good job, too," the blonde added in dejectedly. "Some of the elders don't want to let go of their share of Tokyo."

It was quiet for a bit as Akashi considered the data in the file. "It will be no issue. This man is easily swayed, I will have no trouble dealing with him when I am released from here."

"Very well," Midorima replaced the folder in Akashi's hand with another identical one. "These documents require your signature."

"I need you to investigate something for me, Shintarou." Akashi said as he signed the documents.

"What is it?"

"I want the name of whoever it is that prepared my dinner the night before last, and I want a list of the people who have been in and out of the kitchens over the past week."

His subordinates stared at him in silence.

Midorima spoke first. "You think the poisoning is intentional?"

"It is a possibility I wish to eliminate." Akashi answered with finality.

"Understood."

**xx**

This time, Akashi was expecting the soft tapping on his door. Like the night before, it was well past the time for reasonable visits. He turned off the TV and called for the other man to enter.

"Good evening," the man bowed slightly. He bore a large glass bottle that contained a muddy looking liquid with various types of plants floating about in it.

"It is well past evening," Akashi returned. "What is that?"

"Oh, this," the man held out the bottle for Akashi to take. "Is the cure for the poison."

"I am sure that there is no need for this," Akashi said. "As you can see, I am perfectly fine."

"That is because I gave you something to stop the poison from spreading. I determined the type of plant used. It is a rare mushroom that is found only in South America. The effects of the plant matches what you have. The poison spreads slowly, as it first comes off as normal food poisoning, but given time it will infect your liver and your kidneys and cause death."

"This sounds ludicrous."

"Like I said, I am well-versed in poisonous plants. It may seem improbable, but it is true."

"How do I know that you're not trying to poison me now?" Akashi asked, suspiciously.

"I suppose you don't," the blue-eyed man returned in a monotone. "You'll have to trust me."

Monochromatic eyes studied the petite man for several minutes then, "What is the dosage?"

"Half a cup every four hours until you are done with the bottle," came the prompt reply. "I will come and collect it again in a few days."

"Wait," the young man stopped on his way out and turned a questioning glance towards the redhead. "What was it that you gave me last night to put me to sleep?"

"It is a mixture of several herbs that I brewed. I injected it into your IV line," he paused for a bit. "I apologize if it offends you."

"I cannot be offended when you had good intentions," Akashi said, almost to himself. "Do you… have more of it?"

He caught sight of the slightest lift in the corner of the man's mouth. "I have incorporated it into that drink. You will feel drowsy for most of the day, but please do not fight the sleep. It is what your body needs most right now."

"Thank you," Akashi said, as sincerely as he could manage.

The man bowed again. "You are welcome."

**xx**

He was stuck in a strange sort of limbo for the next two days thanks to the concoction provided by the ghost-like man. Even so, his mind retained its sharpness when he was conscious, which was better than the effects of the drugs provided by the hospital. He had not been instructed to stop the medication prescribed to him so he continued to take those as well, albeit in smaller doses. He wasn't sure what would happen if his system was swamped with medication of all sorts.

Midorima's gift came in very handy.

When Akashi was done with the drink, he put the bottle aside, wondering if the strange man would know when to come and collect it. He had seemed like he knew what he was doing, and it was logical to assume that he would be able to estimate how long it would take for Akashi to finish the bottle.

He waited, but there was no sign of the blue-haired man that night. The next evening, Akashi was discharged, and at a loss with what to do with the glass object, he decided to take it home with him, if for no reason other than to find out what the green bits of plants left in it were meant to do.

There was no way to tell for sure if it had been the herbal drink that had cured him, or the tablets provided by the hospital, but Akashi knew for a fact that whatever was in it had helped him sleep properly, thus aiding his recovery.

If for nothing more than to thank the man, he was determined to find him. It would also be of much benefit to find out what it was that had put him into a dreamless sleep every night.


	2. Chapter 2

**This has taken me longer than I expected. It seems I underestimated the amount of research I have to do for this series, which is part of the reason that I've been putting this off. **

**Before you go on, I'd like to apologize for the facts in this. If you're interested to know, the mushroom described here is amanita virosa, or European Destroying Angel, found in Europe. It's symptoms do not properly correspond with what was mentioned in the earlier chapter (the amount of time it takes for the poison to be absorbed and how long he had been suffering for) because I was lazy and didn't do proper research when I wrote that *shot*but I promise to get my facts accurate after this. **

**That aside, I hope that you enjoy this, and let me know what you think!**

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That a man with bright aquamarine hair and eyes walking around Tokyo would be so hard to locate in this day and age was beyond absurd. It took a month, and all of Midorima's resources to narrow the list down to three possible places in which the phantom-like man could be found. Akashi had been adamant that Aomine and Kise were the ones to track him down in person, clearly not wanting to leave it to the lower-leveled members with less experience in finding people.

"What if we don't ever find this guy?" Kise asked thoughtfully, shutting the car door behind him. This was the third and last place they were visiting. Beyond this, no one had any clue on how to find the man. He rounded the vehicle to stand beside his current partner who was propped against the side of the car.

"We'd better find him," Aomine grumbled, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff. Kise shot him a sidelong glance but didn't comment. Aomine didn't particularly like smoking, but he claimed that the nicotine helped keep him calm. Why he refused to use nicotine patches instead was anyone's guess. Golden eyes shifted upwards as he tipped his head back and stared at the bright but modest sign on the second floor of the building they faced.

"Apothecarie, huh?" he observed. "Do they even call them that anymore?"

"What the hell is an apothecarie?" The dark head beside him craned upwards as well.

"It's a pharmacist, basically. That's what they used to call them in Europe ages ago."

"Then why not just call himself a pharmacist, tch," Aomine tossed the half used cigarette onto the sidewalk and ground it out with his heel. The tan man slipped his numbing hands into the pockets of his jacket, already regretting the short smoke since it forced him to leave his hands exposed to the cold. He hated winter. "Let's get this guy and head back, I can't feel my feet."

Wordlessly, the blond followed in his wake as he found a side door that opened to a flight of stairs that led to the apothecary on the second floor. They took their time, feeling themselves thaw out a bit now that they were out of the way of the wind. The pair came to halt in front of a frosted glass door, protected by a key code security system and a small CCTV in the far corner of the wall. On the door, the name of the resident consultant was printed in neat block letters, along with the company's operating hours.

Simultaneously, they glanced at their watches, noting that it was close to closing time. Aomine reached for the bell, and they heard the buzzer go off inside. All was silent for a moment and then a soft click signaled that the door was unlocked for them to enter. As soon as the door swung open, the duo was hit with a heady scent, somewhat off-putting at first, but it gradually became much more pleasant. Aomine took a deep breath, feeling the scent creep through his lungs and buzz around his brain. It somehow made him feel relaxed, peaceful.

"Welcome!" There was a chirpy greeting from the reception desk and they honed in on a pink-haired woman who had to have been a cheerleader at one point in her life. Aomine grinned slowly, making Kise roll his eyes. Aomine was impossible to control around busty women, especially ones that were as attractive as she was. Sauntering over, the dark-haired man leaned over the desk casually, giving her a rakish smile.

"Well, hello there, beau—" his words were cut off when with a clang, she landed a metal clipboard on his face, expression bored. It was a comical sight, but Kise was far more amused by the fact that it took his colleague several seconds to respond with a yelp and to jump back. He bit back laughter, but he failed to control the smile that took over his face. He came up beside the man rubbing his nose and patted him on the back comfortingly. The other growled in response.

"We're here to see the doctor," he told the receptionist, unperturbed by the once-over he received when he spoke. It was no secret that he was an extremely attractive specimen. Add to that, his natural charm and blinding smile, he drew eyes wherever he went.

"I'm sorry," she began with a slight apologetic bob of her head. "We've closed our appointments for the day. Perhaps you would like to schedule something for tomorrow?"

"Ah, bu—"

"Look here, lady," Aomine interjected, not bothering to beat around the bush now that she had fallen from his good grace. "We're not asking again."

She directed a bland look at the tan man and Kise had to hold back another giggle. "Good, then I don't have to repeat myself."

The blond raised an eyebrow, enjoying himself immensely. His partner was suave around women, and his striking good looks usually made up for his foul mouth. It was rare to find a woman who wouldn't put up with his nonsense. Aomine was evidently pissed off, and had opened his mouth to unleash a tirade of words when they heard a new voice from behind.

"Momoi, what's going on here?" Three pairs of eyes turned to the newcomer, a tall redhead with ruby-coloured eyes and a leg bundled up in a cast up to the knee. He was supporting his weight on a pair of crutches, but the obvious invalidity of his body did little to diminish the imposing look they received from him. Aomine returned the glare, already disliking the guy.

With a small cry, she rushed out from behind the desk to fawn over him. "Kagamin, you shouldn't be up yet! Tetsu-kun won't be happy!"

"I've been cooped up in that damn room for a week, I can walk this much," the redhead returned drily, petting her head in reassurance. He returned his gaze to the waiting pair, hand falling protectively to the pink-haired woman's shoulder. "We're closed to walk-in visitors now; you should come back some other time."

Aomine began to say something, but the words died on his lips when a heel landed on his toes. With another yelp and a shove at the culprit standing unconcernedly beside him, he turned away, leaning against the desk to tend to his wounds. Kise smiled pleasantly at the pair who was eyeing him curiously.

"We're not here for an appointment, we're here as representatives for Akashi Seijuurou," the name of one of the most feared men in Japan did little to incite a response from the man, but the smaller woman's eyes widened in shock. Kise directed his attention to her, since she was probably the more likely of the two to cooperate. "Our boss wishes to show his gratitude to the man who saved his life."

Kagami leaned down to Momoi's height and whispered, "Who the hell's Akashi Seijuurou?"

"Someone very, very important," she whispered back. "I think he's talking about Tetsu-kun."

"Kuroko?" he questioned with a frown. "What did the bastard go and do this time?"

Heaving a sigh, she turned around, ignoring the other presences that were paying close attention to the pair. "I can't read minds, Kagamin. The best I can guess is that Tetsu-kun saved him from poisoning."

"Huh," Kagami huffed and Kise was mildly surprised at the annoyed look that passed over his face. Most people would be happy at the thought of having the city's reigning crime lord in their debt.

"We don't mean any harm," Kise said, deciding that intervention was necessary. "We would just like to take Kuroko-san to our boss so that he can express his thanks in person."

Momoi looked undecided, while Kagami didn't even consider the offer. "There's no need for any thanks, Kuroko would've done that for anyone."

"Even so, that person happened to be Akashi, and my boss is someone who takes these things very seriously." The blond persisted. He didn't want to think of what might happen to him if they returned without the man.

A door down the far corridor opened, and a brown-haired man appeared, blinking owlishly at them. Aomine exchanged a glance with Kise. It was clearly not the man that they were in pursuit of. The man approached them, clutching a small slip of paper. He smiled at Momoi, feeling nervous under the silent scrutiny of all those in the room, and held the piece of paper out to her.

"Kuroko-sensei asked me to collect my medicine from the reception desk?" the words came out as a question as the three other men continued to glare at him. Kise's head whipped towards the door from which the man had appeared, and before the redhead could react, he dashed off down the hallway, followed closely by Aomine who had come to the same conclusion as he had. There was a shout from Kagami, but they ignored it. The man was in crutches, for crying out loud.

Without missing a beat, Kise yanked open the door, revealing a small, pristine office. There was a desk opposite the door, with an examination bed in the far corner and shelves and cabinets that covered whatever wall space was available. Behind the desk was a window that stretched along the entire width of the wall. At the sudden opening of the door, the person seated behind the desk glanced up, large blue eyes betraying no sign of surprise at the appearance of the two large men. There was momentary silence as both sides stared at each other.

"Can I help you?" the man finally spoke, voice a monotone as he put down the pen he had been writing with.

"Are you Kuroko-san?" Kise asked, reaching the desk in two strides and invading the blue-haired man's personal space.

"I am," he replied, leaning back. "If this is about a consultation, you will have to make an appointment with the recepti—"

The blond man didn't bother to pay attention to the rest of his words, launching himself, arms outstretched at the man the second he heard the affirmation.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" He sobbed dramatically, much to the smaller man's bewilderment. "Akashicchi is going to be so happy!"

Wide aquamarine eyes stared over the blond's shoulder at the tan man leaning nonchalantly against the door frame, swimming with questions. Aomine sighed, running a hand through short navy hair. He was glad that they had located the man at last, but Kise was overreacting again. He almost felt sorry for the small pale-skinned man who was severely dwarfed by the body wrapped around him. Aomine stepped forward and pulled Kise away from the bluenette, with a flick to his forehead for good measure. And possibly revenge for earlier.

"You're supposed to be professional, idiot," he chided the tearful blond. "Do your job properly."

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Kise immediately turned to the seated man. He would have leaned in too close again if not for the fingers gripping the back of his collar holding him still. "My name is Kise Ryouta and this is Aomine Daiki."

Aomine nodded at Kuroko as the latter glanced at him. "Tell him why we're here."

"We were sent by Akashi Seijuurou to take you to him so that he can show his gratitude in person," Kise piped up dutifully. He bowed as low as he could without cutting off the blood to his brain. "We are deeply indebted to you."

"I am honoured, but I do not understand what you mean," Kuroko replied, his face still void of expression. "Who is Akashi Seijuurou?"

It was rare for Kise to be rendered speechless, and though Aomine normally coveted the silence that it brought, they had been tasked with convincing the blue-haired man to follow them without resorting to any violence. Aomine was out of his league here.

"You saved him from food poisoning…?" Kise trailed off hesitantly, confused by the unchanging features of the man he faced. He was gifted with words, but he couldn't figure out what the pale-skinned man was thinking and so couldn't come up with the right things to say.

A slight furrowing of his eyebrows was the only indication that Kuroko was frowning. "I've helped many overcome food poisoning."

"He was admitted in a hospital a month ago, and you told him it was mushroom poisoning." Aomine inserted, seeing his partner flounder.

"Oh," Kuroko sat up straighter, recognition lighting up his eyes. "The patient with the red hair!"

The pair stared at him, wondering if that was really all he could remember of such an outstanding man. He seemed to sense their curiosity and offered them a small quirk of his lips that amounted to a smile.

"I meet many patients every day. I never read his personal details, I felt that it was too much of an invasion of his privacy."

Akashi had mentioned that the man had managed to gain access to his hospital records and enter his room without any alarm being sounded. Aomine could see why. He had a strange way of blending into the background. His skin seemed almost transparent, and he felt like the longer he looked at Kuroko, the more he seemed to disappear.

"Anyway," he announced gruffly, the sound of his voice startling Kise out of his trance. "If you would come with us, we have a car waiting downstairs."

"I'm afraid I will have to politely decline," Kuroko's response was soft. "Please understand that it is something that I would have done for anyone else. I do not desire any compensation."

**xx**

"I think I'm going to die." Kise groaned, flopping around in the passenger seat of the car. Aomine's answer was a grunt as he lit up a fresh cigarette. He inhaled deeply and exhaled the poisonous smoke before he spoke.

"We need to talk to Akashi."

Aomine had expected an immediate rejection from the blond, so he was surprised when he was met with no protest. He glanced over in time to see Kise squirm around in the seat and then slump over, looking dejected.

"Why must he be so stubborn?!" He suddenly burst out, and Aomine had to swerve back into the right lane. Kise was unruffled by the glare he received, staring unseeingly out the windscreen. He huffed in annoyance. "It's been weeks already!"

After the first time Kuroko had turned them down, Midorima has insisted that they continued convincing him. From the explanation they received from the bespectacled man, Akashi appeared very much set on recruiting Kuroko into their organization. Aomine couldn't have cared less one way or another, but orders were orders, and Kise had been fired up by the fact that Kuroko was the first person in a long time who presented a challenge to the gold-eyed man.

Thus, they had returned daily to the small clinic. Today marked the fortnight, and although Momoi had somewhat warmed up to him (she no longer hit him with the clipboard), Kuroko had repeatedly refused their requests. That idiot redhead didn't help things along either, glaring at them whenever he surfaced from the room at the furthest end of the corridor. Aomine was annoyed just thinking about him. For fourteen days, he had had to resist the urge to land a fist on that smug expression that mocked him.

"Maybe it's because you're gettin' rusty," he muttered, intentionally riling up the man beside him.

Kise bit the bait. "I am not!"

"Why else would he keep resisting?" Aomine shot back.

"I don't know, but it's not because I've lost my touch," Kise said, pouting childishly. "Maybe he's hiding something."

**xx**

"Aren't those two exhausting you out yet?" Kuroko looked up at the question.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" He returned. The taller man glanced away, not really sure why he felt slightly guilty.

"It's been nearly two months, I'm bored. There's nothing to do here."

"I thought you were catching up on some manga?"

"Finished all of them."

"Anime?"

"Done."

"Books?" Kagami made a face at him. Kuroko shook his head. "You should try reading sometime."

"I can't understand the words," Kagami admitted, falling into one of the chairs placed in front of Kuroko's desk with a relieved sigh. "I dunno how you picked up all that Japanese so quick."

"I read a lot," Kuroko replied blankly. He watched as Kagami struggled with his bandaged leg. He was already moving about without crutches, but standing without support clearly drained him. "Are you still adamant about not letting me see to that?"

Kagami glanced up at him with a frown. "That'd defeat the purpose."

"It is much better than being in so much pain for so long."

"I'm fine," the redhead insisted, a stubborn set to his jaw. Kuroko sighed inaudibly. "What about those guys?"

Kuroko blinked at the man before him. "What about them?"

"This Akashi dude obviously has some sort of hidden agenda."

"Perhaps," Kuroko conceded. "But I am sure there is nothing to be concerned about."

**xx**

The soft tapping on the door was nearly lost in the large office, but it somehow made its way over to the occupant of the room.

"Come in," he called, eyes on the documents spread out on the large mahogany desk he was seated at. The door was nudged open to reveal a blond tuft of hair. "What is it, Ryouta?"

"I came to uh, Aominecchi and I, we—"

"Would you please come closer?" A shiver ran down Kise's spine at the sharp tone. Akashi was not in one of his better moods. He shuffled into the office, shutting the door soundlessly behind him and stepped forward until he was about a meter from the desk. It was then that his superior finally looked up at him, and Kise swallowed hard. "You were saying?"

"Uh, you see, we found the man, and we tried to convince him to come, but uh, he keeps on refusing and uh, we—we don't really know what else to do…." Kise's words tapered off as he looked apprehensively at the bent head, as Akashi had returned his attention to the papers when Kise began speaking. Akashi glanced up at him again, and Kise had to resist the urge to flinch. He had been working under Akashi for many years, but the redhead was not someone easy to get used to.

"Is there only one of you today?" the blond was shocked at the sudden question, and he glanced instinctively to his left where Aomine had been for the most part of the past fortnight.

"Y-Yeah." Aomine had won the rock-paper-scissors contest they had had to decide on who the sacrifice to Akashi would be and was hiding somewhere outside in the large land area that surrounded the house.

Akashi fell silent again. Kise wrung his fingers behind his back, trying vainly to not let his fear show on his face. A silent Akashi was scarier than a talking one.

"Try to convince him one more time tomorrow," Akashi finally said. "If he still does not cooperate, make an appointment for the next day in your name."

"M-My name?"

"Yes," he said, sounding irritated. "Use whatever excuse you choose, but do not mention me unless it is in passing. And make him believe that you will be leaving him alone."

"Okay," Kise was glad that his head was still intact. It was not usually the case for a bearer of bad news. He turned and walked away, the skip in his step already back.

"Ryouta," pausing with his hand on the handle, the blond glanced back cautiously.

"Yes, Akashicchi?"

"Please inform Daiki that if he wishes to be outside in such weather this late, he should remember a scarf." Akashi said, sounding casual enough. Kise stiffened, but he knew better than to question how the other man knew these things. With a quick nod and a bow, he rushed out, barely remembering to shut the door softly.

**xx**

Kuroko had been expecting this to happen. He was not so naïve to believe that the two yakuza members who had been persistently hounding him for the past two weeks would suddenly decide to lay off in exchange for a free consultation. The blue-haired man was seated at his desk as per usual, counting the minutes down to the appointed time. He had threatened to break Kagami's other leg if he so much as peeped out of his room, knowing that if the short-tempered redhead was to be present at the confrontation, sparks would fly.

The door opened without warning, right on the dot. He kept his features blank as Akashi entered and sat down before him. They exchanged looks, both sizing the other up. Akashi had not been at his sharpest during his term in the hospital, and had missed certain details about the bluenette. Kuroko, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised at the overwhelming presence of the other man. He no longer looked like the fragile, beaten man he had sought out at the hospital.

"I see that you are fully recovered." Kuroko offered, to break the silence.

"Indeed. It is all thanks to the wonderful drink that you prepared for me." Akashi returned, settling back into the chair and crossing his legs.

Kuroko bowed his head slightly. "I did nothing outstanding."

"I was skeptical at first, but after some investigation we discovered that there were some poisonous mushrooms that were mistakenly addressed to my household," the redhead went on, not bothered by the seemingly disinterested expression on the blue-haired man's face. He pulled out a bottle from a paper bag that Kuroko had failed to notice earlier and passed it to him. "I believe this was the culprit."

Kuroko took the glass container and held it up to scrutinize. There was a rather large mushroom in it, completely white but for a yellowish hue in its centre. Nodding, Kuroko pushed it back across the desk.

"It is commonly mistaken for other, edible mushrooms. It is no wonder that your cook failed to notice the difference."

"So anyone could have made this mistake?" Monochromatic eyes watched him carefully as he nodded his head again.

"If they have not studied mushrooms, yes."

"You seem to know a lot about these things," the redhead mentioned nonchalantly. "How did you come to learn such things?"

"It is a prerequisite for someone in my line of work," Kuroko said, voice betraying nothing but politeness.

"Do you treat many people who are poisoned?" Akashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Cases like yours are rare in Japan, but it is always good to be prepared."

"Are you not from Japan, then?" Kuroko didn't bat an eyelid at the prodding. "You speak very good Japanese for a foreigner."

"I was born in Japan but I spent most of my life overseas. I only recently returned." Kuroko went on before Akashi could ask him another question. "I believe that this was meant to be a consultation, Akashi-san."

"Indeed it was, pardon my rudeness." Akashi said, flashing Kuroko a small smile. "I was merely curious about my savior."

"Your praise is exaggerated. As I told your subordinates, I would have done the same for anyone else."

"Yes, they informed me that you refused any compensation for the service that you did for me," Kuroko glanced away when the pair of mismatched eyes flashed as he spoke. The redhead wore a pleasant expression, but Kuroko could tell that he was not happy with his decision.

"Please understand," Kuroko began, trying hard to ignore the chill that settled at the base of his spine as their eyes made contact. "I wish to live a quiet life. I do not want to involve myself or my friends with the yakuza."

"You know," Akashi said after a long, tense interval. "It took my best man a very long time to track you down, Kuroko-san. Also, you have repeatedly refused to accept something as simple as a sign of thanks. Not only is this an insult to my pride and honour, but it leads me to believe that you are hiding something."

When Kuroko failed to come up with a response, Akashi stood with a sigh, deciding that he had done enough pushing for the day. Before he left, however, he leveled a serious look at the bluenette who was still seated.

"I fully intend to have you working for me. Your set of skills is highly coveted in my part of the world, and it would do you good to keep in mind that when word spreads, I will not be the only one after your abilities. Just know that the others may not be so gentle, or so patient."

"I am fully capable of taking care of myself," Kuroko responded flatly.

"You have not seen what _I_ am capable of." Akashi retorted. "I believe myself to be a reasonable man, but you are wearing my patience thin."

With that, Akashi turned to leave. He had pulled open the door when Kuroko called out to him.

"You forgot this," he said, pointing to the glass bottle containing the poisonous plant.

"A gift," Akashi replied, a smirk spreading over his face. "It is rather befitting, I believe."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry that I've been inactive for so long! There were plenty of things that happened to me, but it's mostly because I had serious writer's block. It's been so long that I'm not even sure about my writing style anymore hahaha... **

**Yeah, so, I hope that this chapter sort-of-kinda-maybe makes up for the absence. Though, I'll admit that it may be a bit boring, but the next few chapters will be the facts getting laid out and all, so if you find this boring, I'm afraid this won't be the last one.**

**On a different tangent, I'll be updating CC soon - for those of you who read that too - so keep an eye out for it!**

* * *

"Since your meeting with the President, Kaijou has come around on the merger. Our inside man says that the board isn't too happy about it, but whatever you offered them was enough to get a majority vote." Midorima went on to convey the rest of the summarised report, eyes never straying from the open folder he held. On the other side of the large mahogany desk, Akashi had one ear turned towards the green-haired man while he stared out the window that took up an entire wall of his office at the bustling metropolis at his feet.

Tokyo, he mused, was bristling with potential. The line between good and bad was blurred, like chalk on a pavement that had been walked over too many times. A man like himself could do a lot with a city like this, and he had not wasted any time in setting up all the necessary arrangements since leaving his father's shadow. Even though they were as closely related as any two people could be, there was a bitter rivalry between the two of them, born from years of unrealistic expectations and impossible demands. Akashi didn't exactly hate the man, but he addressed him solely by name, and that in itself was a strong indication of their relationship.

Midorima came to the end of his report, closing the folder with a rustle and raised an expectant face to his boss. Akashi did not hesitate.

"Tell our man in Kaijou to keep an ear peeled. There are a few members of the board that I'm sure are up to no good. Do not worry yourself over Touou, they may be rather difficult right now, but they are aware that it is in their best interest to go through with it. There will be some resistance over the terms, so get our lawyers to come up with another merger agreement that allows them conditional control over their subsidiaries, but ensure that all big decisions come from us."

His right hand man merely nodded, already cataloguing Akashi's orders in his head. After receiving his orders, Midorima stayed where he was, and pulled out a piece of paper from the back of his folder. The red head swivelled back towards him, eyebrow raised in askance.

"I looked into Kuroko Tetsuya and his acquaintances as you ordered," he began, nudging up his spectacles. "Would you like me to read it to you, or would you rather run through it yourself?"

Akashi gestured for the taller man to continue, silently noting that there was not very much information that could fit onto a single sheet of paper.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, age, twenty-six, profession, apothecarie. Possesses two doctorates in toxicology and botany and owns one of three licenses to operate an apothecary in Japan. His passport seems to have been used only twice before, once twenty years ago and another time recently to re-enter the country, but facial recognition has placed him in at least eighteen countries over the past decade. The injured man you met was one Kagami Taiga. Age, twenty-six. It seems he was admitted in the same hospital that you were in due to a broken leg from a motorcycle accident. He works as a chef in the Sheraton, but it seems that he was on path to become an engineer. He has a Masters in civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering. Like your man, his passport only shows one exit and entry into the country, but cameras have spotted him in many other countries, most of them being the same ones Kuroko has visited."

"The female is Momoi Satsuki. She works as a receptionist with Kuroko, but she is overqualified for the job. MBA, Ph.D in Economics, and a Masters in toxicology. There's no conceivable reason that she's working a desk job instead."

Akashi watched with his cheek resting against a fist as Midorima looked up at him, the unspoken signal that he had finished what he had to say.

"Is this all you've managed to gather?" He asked.

"Frankly, I believe they're all living under fake aliases. No matter how deep I dug there was no history on any of them, and their names do not come up in any other database besides immigration."

"What about that female, has she been seen outside of Japan?"

Midorima inclined his head. "According to the information I've collected, she was born and bred here and has only left the country once on a short visit to Singapore."

The redhead was quiet for a bit and then, "Perhaps it really was coincidence that he found me."

"But their circumstances are highly suspicious," Midorima argued, looking startled at his words.

"Indeed they are, but I have learned that if someone gives you a hand, they expect a whole arm in return," Akashi replied sardonically. "Kuroko Tetsuya is putting up a very strong resistance to my advances. It is rare to find someone who would refuse my protection."

"Perhaps he is pretending in order to dispel suspicion."

"Perhaps," the seated man acknowledged. "But if he is, then he is a spectacular actor."

**xx**

There was a light knock on the door that was opened after a five-second pause. Momoi stuck her head around the door with a bright smile.

"I brought you two some tea." She said, brandishing the tray proudly. It was piled high with cookies and cakes of various sorts along with three mugs of tea. She saw the slightly panicked look Kagami shot Kuroko and added drily, "It's all store bought, don't worry."

"Don't mind him, Momoi-san," Kuroko replied with a small tilt to his lips. "Thank you for the meal."

With an extra chair dragged in from the living room used as a makeshift table to hold the tray of food, the three settled comfortable on Kagami's huge bed, with the redhead tucked under the covers and propped up on a fluffy pile of pillows and Momoi and Kuroko on either side of him. The wall opposite the bed was bare but for a large TV mounted to it, and it was the reason that Kuroko was in Kagami's room in the first place. The movie was more than halfway through, but Momoi had already seen it before, and was content to just lounge back against the headboard and marvel at how soft the mattress was.

By the end of the movie, the tray was piled with empty mugs and plates, and Kuroko insisted on taking it off Momoi's hands. When he returned from washing the dishes, it was to find Momoi chattering animatedly about the previous movie while Kagami nodded along and injected a comment occasionally.

"So," Momoi said, as soon as Kuroko settled down on the now-vacant chair. "Akashi Seijuurou."

"You have compiled data on him?" Kuroko asked.

"Yeah, and it wasn't hard at all. Every one of my contacts had plenty to say about him. Apparently, he's the second-in-line to the proverbial throne. His grandfather built an empire in the tech industry way back in the day, and his father added some slightly shady dealings to fatten up the portfolio. Throw in an over-privileged, unloved only child, and you have an ambitious young man desperate to get out of daddy's shadow. He's doing a great job at making his own name, too. Currently, he rules underground Tokyo, and is working on several large mergers with other companies that specialize in the illegal."

"So he's a yakuza through and through," Kagami remarked, eyeballing Kuroko accusingly. The latter merely shrugged.

"Good deeds are not discriminatory."

"God damn it, Kuroko, how many times have I told you to stay out of trouble?" The injured man stabbed a finger at his friend. "I take my eyes off you for one minute and you disappear! Did you really have to _follow_ him?"

"I couldn't let someone die just because of a wrong diagnosis," the other retorted, his usually soft voice becoming louder. "It was well within my ability to save his life."

"What's done is done," Momoi interrupted the argument before it could escalate further. The two of them had been fighting over the incident ever since Akashi's subordinates showed up at their clinic. She sympathised with Kuroko, but she had to agree with Kagami that it was becoming a real hassle.

"Momoi-san is right," Kuroko said, sounding calmer. "We need to find a way to get him to lay off."

"He told you that he wasn't gonna rest until he had you working for him, didn't he?"

"I think that he's doing this to protect himself from you," Momoi said with a small frown. "Your skills are rare, but not impossible to come across. If he wanted someone who could do what you did, he could go out and find any other apothecarie."

"They're not exactly flooding the streets," Kagami pointed out.

"You said he was second-in-line," Kuroko spoke up suddenly. "But he's an only child?"

"Well, he's technically an only child. He has a half-brother who was born out of wedlock."

"An illegal child is the heir to an empire?" The redhead raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "He must hate his brother's guts."

"Actually, it's quite the contrary. It seems that he looks up to his brother, and my sources say that he even goes to him for assistance."

"Great, so big brother is watching out for him." Kagami muttered under his breath.

Momoi grimaced, turning serious eyes towards Kuroko. "You need to take care of yourself, Tetsu-kun. If his true intention is really to keep you out of his competitors' reach, your safety will be nothing but collateral."

**xx**

A city like Tokyo never truly went to sleep. Even when the hustle and bustle died down, there were still the soft whispers of life that clung on, the chime of a convenience store door, the sudden burst of drunken laughter, or even the quiet shuffle of the homeless looking for a place to shelter. The sounds of the city blended together to form a mish-mashed symphony, incoherent and unappealing, yet completely familiar. With all of that going on, it was hardly worth noting the patter of hurried footsteps on the pavement.

The man ran, overcoat billowing out behind him like a cape, one hand clutching firmly at the hat atop his head that was trying its best to escape. He looked like any other man who was rushing to meet the last train. No doubt he lived too far away to walk on foot. It wasn't long before his pants could be heard, short and erratic. They almost drowned out the sound of his feet hitting the ground. He glanced around him as he travelled, not willing to risk stopping.

He didn't know how far back his pursuer was.

There was a small alleyway that ended on a right turn, and his adrenaline-injected brain informed him that perhaps there was a place down the dark and narrow street he could hide in until it was safe. He leaned to the side, nearly tripping as he stumbled into the alleyway and chanced a glance back towards the brightly lit street he had left behind.

Nothing.

Still not feeling very assured, he continued to run, following the turns of the small backstreets, drawing only mild interest from the various scatterings of people who happened to be there. He heard no sound of pursuit. It was like a huge maze, and he soon found himself in an area that barely looked like it was a part of Japan. He came to a halt when he took a turn down to a dead end. His eyes darted around at the three walls surrounding him. There was no way up for him. He spun around to leave, but slammed heavily into a body that was less than a step behind him.

This time when he tripped, he really did fall, and he landed hard on his tailbone. His hat tipped backwards off his head and landed on the littered ground behind him. Terrified, he looked up at the man before him who looked unaffected by the fact that someone had just run into him. The man raised a gloved hand to his mouth, and he noticed that it held a half-smoked cigar. He slipped it between his teeth, lips curled away from the butt of the cigar. There was the sound of a long inhale, and seconds ticked by before it was followed with an exhale.

"Please," he whispered, his voice hoarse from the exertion. "I don't want to die."

The hand not holding onto the cigar rose slowly and he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun, equipped with a silencer. The shot was barely audible, as was the sound of the lifeless body hitting the asphalt. Dark eyes were wide open, and a little trickle of blood was beginning to pool in their sockets from the tiny wound just above the eyebrows. The cigar travelled upwards again, and the puff this time was longer.

He took another, shorter puff for good measure and then tossed the stick down beside the body. Readjusting his gloves, he walked leisurely until he was out in the main street and then reached for his phone.

**xx**

When Kise rolled out of the bed, the first thing he did as he sat up was reach for his phone. The burst of light from it blinded him momentarily, and he struggled to read the time through squinted eyes. It was four a.m., later than he had expected. He looked around the hotel room he was in, trying to distinguish his clothes from the dark objects scattered around the room. It had been a while since he'd last felt so much passion. It was fortunate for him that his partner was experienced, and had been just as eager to check into a hotel room.

Twisting around, he gazed at the chiselled back of the man who was sleeping soundly on the other end of the king-sized bed. With the meagre light streaming in through the gaps in the curtains, he let his eyes wander over the bare skin of the other man. It was almost a surprise to him that there were so many people in Japan who were dark-skinned. He'd never really noticed until he started working with one of them. His hair was cropped short, and the dark strands had felt just as luxurious as they looked.

The phone in his hand lit up and began to buzz, shocking him out of his admiration of the other man. As he lifted the device up to his ear, he was already pulling on his boxers which had been discarded at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, Aominecchi?" He listened to the man on the other end of the line repeat orders from Akashi with the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder while he bustled about, looking for his clothes. "Okay, I'll be there in twenty."

Fully dressed, he paused with a hand on the handle, contemplating the figure that had not budged once in all that time. Running a hand through golden locks, he let out a soft sigh and opened the door with a click.

**xx**

"_Preliminary reports say that the victim was an employee of Kaijou Corporation. He was shot dead in an alleyway some distance away from the main street of Kinshicho. Witnesses claim that they saw the man running and had assumed that he was headed to the train station…"_

"Good morning, Kagamin." Momoi greeted drowsily, shuffling into the living room and plopping down on the couch beside the redhead. Kagami merely grunted in reply, too caught up in the news report on TV.

"_The unofficial word is that the cause of death is a bullet through the head. There has also been no sign of workable evidence, aside from what appears to be a partially smoked cigar that was left beside the body…."_

"It is a surprise to see you awake this early, Momoi-san," Kuroko's monotone voice startled the two occupants of the couch, who looked up at the newcomer guiltily. Hastily, Kagami fumbled for the remote, but was stopped by Kuroko who shook his head. "I've already heard it."

"_The company has expressed regret over the death of one of their own, and has vowed to pursue every avenue available to bring the perpetrator to justice. He leaves behind a widow and two children."_

Silence filled the room as the newscaster ended her report and another headline flashed across the screen. Kagami turned the TV off, and exchanged glances with Momoi.

"This is the fourth one," Kuroko murmured softly, a furrow between his brows the only indication to how troubled he was feeling.

"You don't know that it's the same person," Momoi piped up. "It could be a coincidence."

"We all know that it's not a coincidence," Kuroko replied, staring off into the distance. "A headshot, a cigar, they'll obviously find the same initial on the bullet, and even the fact that the man was from Kaijou."

"What does his employer have to do with this?" Kagami interrupted, looking confused.

"Kaijou is one of the big corporations that Akashi is dealing with. That means that their operations are not exactly legal." Momoi explained, looking apprehensively at the blue-eyed man. His expression was vacant, as though he was completely lost in thought.

"Akashi deals with Kaijou…" he muttered out loud, tilting his head as he contemplated the same spot on the wall. "Perhaps I should accept his proposal."

"What?!" Kagami erupted, jumping to his feet before he recalled that one of them was in a cast. With a yelp and a curse, he fell back onto the couch, trying hard to focus on something other than the pain blooming in his leg.

"This killer has been going after members of mafia groups. If I were to work with Akashi, then I will be able to get closer to him."

"That's dangerous, Tetsu-kun," the pink-haired woman shook her head violently. "You could get killed."

Kuroko smiled slightly at his friend. "My safety is not the highest priority right now."

"If you do this, you could expose us," Kagami pointed out.

The other man shrugged. "I'm sure he's already found out by now that our aliases do not exist. We were not meant to stay for so long anyway."

"I'm not talking about that kind of exposure," the redhead retorted. "You know the protocol. If anyone finds out about us, things would get really messy."

"I am aware of that, Kagami-kun," Kuroko answered. He returned the probing look he received from the taller man. "It is a risk I am willing to take."

**xx**

"Our inside man has been terminated," Midorima's voice was distorted by the static over the phone. Akashi hummed in reply, not particularly surprised by the development. He sat up and leaned back against his headboard, and put down the book he had been reading before the call. The lights were all off but for a lamp on his bedside table. "A single head wound. He was found in a deserted part of Kinshicho."

"Has there been any word from Kaijou?"

"No one is taking credit for it yet, but I believe that it was a group of the senior directors who were not too happy with the merger," Midorima went on, "It appears that they hired the Phantom."

Akashi raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Shintarou, but I recall that you told me that the Phantom did not exist."

"It's true, he doesn't exist. Not on any database, anyway."

"The explain to me how a ghost is able to put a bullet through the brain of one of my men." Akashi said sharply. Midorima was silent on the other end of the line. Akashi sighed.

"Get Daiki and Ryouta on this right away. We need eyes and ears on the inside. Tell Ryouta to make use of his contacts inside Kaijou. Touou may have played a part in this, so get Daiki to do the same there. Get on the Phantom's trail. I do not like having an adversary I do not know about out on the streets."

"Yes, Akashi."

"Shintarou," Akashi called out before the line could be cut.

"Yes, Akashi?"

Red and gold eyes stared upward at the ceiling as he weighed his options before he answered. "Schedule an appointment with Kuroko Tetsuya tomorrow morning."

His right hand man said nothing for a few seconds. His silence conveyed a lot of what he thought of the order. "Yes, Akashi."

Akashi hung up, and settled back under the covers. His bed felt too large sometimes, especially on nights such as this when his insomnia was rampant. He had not slept for ninety-seven hours. He was thirty-six hours away from beating his personal best. His lips quirked upwards in a sardonic smirk at the thought. The herbal concoction that Kuroko had brewed for him while he was in the hospital had left him feeling refreshed, and was the only reason the blue-eyed man was not six feet under.

Akashi needed him alive, at least for the time being. His aptitude with poisons would also prove useful. There were plenty of people out there who wanted him dead. Akashi was aware that he was an obstacle for many of his rivals, one that was not easily scaled. He had worked hard to make it so, and he had no intention of making things any easier for them.

Picking up the book, he flipped to the page he had stopped at and continued reading.

* * *

**P.S. Despite being away from writing for so long, I think I've more or less gotten the hang of it again. I hope.**

**Do let me know what you think! I love reading the comments from my readers, and the criticism really helps me improve on the flaws. Plus it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, hahaha /shot/**


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